Air conditioning system



Filed Feb. 20, 1948 4 E- Z Z INVENTOR. D0/v 5 DHSHE'E arrow/EX Patented Nov. 28, 1950 AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM Don E. D'asher, Birmingham, Mich.

Application February 20, 1948, Serial No. 9,801

2 Claims.

This invention relates to air conditioning systems.

Broadly the invention comprehends an air conditioning system for motor vehicles yet it is to be clearly understood that the system may be used for other purposes. More specifically the invention contemplates a combined heating and cooling system in which substantially the same units are used to eifectively heat or cool a compartment.

As shown, the system includes a primary generator which may be associated with any suitable source of heat, such as hot exhaust gases, hot water, steam, or any other source of heat that may be harnessed. The primary generator efiectively reduces a liquid, such as water, to a hot vapor or steam and the vapor is conveyed to a secondary generator or heat transfer unit and suitable means is employed to automatically regulate the heat of the secondary generator by disruption of the flow of hot vapor thereto.

The secondary generator effectively reduces a liquid refrigerant to vapor and the vaporized refrigerant is conveyed to a rotary motor under sufficient pressure to drive the motor and a pump or compressor associated therewith. The exhaust from the motor is conveyed to a receiver from which it passes through a resistor or expansion valve to an evaporator and from there to the pump or compressor which returns the vaporized refrigerant under compression to the condenser. Thus completing the cycle.

When used as a heating system, the operation is substantially the same as that when used as a cooling system the only material difference is I that the exhaust from the motor is delivered to the evaporator which in this instance functions as a condenser.

An object of the invention is to provide an air conditioning system effective to control temperature.

Another object of the invention is to provide a heating and cooling system that may be easily and quickly, at the will of the operator, transposed into either a heating system or a cooling system and that will efficiently operate satisfactorily in either capacity.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combined heating and cooling system in which substantially the same units are used in both operations.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a heating and cooling system which is hermetically sealed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a heating and cooling system which is completely automatic in its operation in either capacity.

A further object of the invention is to provide a heating and cooling system including only a few units which may be easily assembled and quickly installed and will efliciently perform its intended functions.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description which taken in connection with the drawings forming a part of this specification and in which the drawing is a diagrammatic illustration of an air conditioning system embodying the invention.

Figure l is a general plan view of the syste installed in a motor vehicle.

Figure 2 is a detailed view of the system with certain parts in section.

Referring to the drawing for more specific details of the invention l0 represents a motor vehicle including a compartment 12 for passengers and a compartment M for a power plant [6. The compartments l4 and I6 are separated as by a wall l8, and the power plant has an exhaust manifold having connected thereto an exhaust pipe 22 extended toward the rear of the vehicle.

A primary heater 24 fitted snugly on the exhaust pipe 22 has achamber 26 for the reception of water to be heated by absorption of heat from the exhaust pipe 22. Ordinarily the exhaust gases from an internal combustion engine are of a higher temperature than that required for successful operation of the system. Such high temperature would result in disintegration of the refrigerant used in the system if directly applied, hence the importance of the primary generator in the incident embodiment of the invention. However, it is to be understood that other types of primary generators may be used with equally good results.

A secondary generator 28 has an outerchamber 30 connected to the chamber 26 of the primary generator as by a conduit 32, and an inner chamber 34 containing a suitable refrigerant such as are commonly used in refrigerating systems.

When the water in the primary generator is heated the resultant vapor flows from the chamber 26 through the conduit 32 into the chamber 30 effectively heating the wall of the chamber 30 and through inductance the refrigerant in the chamber 34. The vapor in the chamber 30 condenses and the condensate escapes through a conduit 36 into a pressure tank 38 connected as by a conduit 40 to the chamber 26 of the primary generator. The flow of fluid through the pressure tank is controlled as by a pressure actuated switch 42 associated with the pressure tank and an electrically actuated valve 44 connected in the conduit 40.

As shown, an electrical circuit includes a battery 46 having one of its terminals grounded as indicated at 48 and its other terminal connected as by a lead 50 to the contactor of a switch 52 for control of the circuit, and the contact of the switch 52 is connected as by a lead 54 to one contact of the pressure switch 42 the other contact of which is connected as by a lead 56 to the valve 44 grounded as indicated at 58. A motor 60 for driving a fan 62 has one of its terminals connected as by a lead 84 tapped oif of the lead 54 with a switch 66 interposed and another motor 68 for driving a fan I is connected as by a lead I2 also tapped off of the lead 54. When the temperature generated by the primary generator approaches the desired maximum resulting in a high pressure in the pressure tank 38 the pressure switch 42 opensand breaks the circuit. This results in closure of the valve 44 so as to retain the condensate in the tank 38 and thereby discontinue supply of liquid flowing to the primary generator 24 and accordingly heated vapor to the secondary generator or heat transfer unit 28.

When the refrigerant in the secondary generator absorbs sufiicient heat to become vaporized, vapor flows from the chamber 34 under pressure through the conduit I4 to the inlet ports I6 and I8 of a rotary motor 80 resulting in driving the motor and a pump or compressor 82 associated therewith. The discharge ports 84 and 86 of the motor are connected as by a conduit 88 and a branch conduit 90 to a condenser 92 and a valve 94 is coupled in the branch conduit 90.

Vapor entering the condenser is cooled and thereby reduced to a liquid. The condenser is connected to a receiver 96 for the reception of liquid from the condenser, and the receiver is connected through a conduit 98 having a restrictor or expansion valve I00 coupled therein to an evaporator I02 which in turn is connected as by a conduit I04 to the intake I06 of the compressor 82 the outlet I08 of which is connected as by a conduit IIO to the conduit 88 leading to the condenser.

The receiver 96 is also connected as by a conduit I I2 to the intake I I4 of the combined pump and compressor 82, the outlet I I6 of which is connected as by a conduit II8 to the chamber 34 of the primary generator 28, and the evaporator I02 is connected as by a conduit I and a valve I22 to the conduit H2 leading to the intake II4 of the combined pump and compressor.

When operating as a cooling system vaporized refrigerant delivered from the secondary generator or heat transfer unit 28 through the conduit I4 to the intakes I6 and 18 of the motor 80 results in driving the motor and the combined pump and compressor 82 associated therewith.

The discharge from the motor 80 through the ports 84 and 86 is conveyed through the conduit 88 and branch conduit 90 into the condenser 92 where condensation takes place and the condensate flows from the condenser to the receiver 96 thence through the conduit 98 past the restrictor or expansion valve I00 into the evaporator I02.

Because of a differential in pressure of the vaporized refrigerant delivered to the compressor 82 and the condenser 92 there is less pressure on the vaporized refrigerant delivered to the pump. This results in rapid vaporization of the refrigerant in the evaporator I02 with the resultant reduction in temperature, and vapor is displaced from the evaporator through conduit I04 to the intake I06 of the compressor 82 the outlet I08 of which is connected by the conduit IIO to the conduit 88 leading to the condenser. This completes the cycle.

When the system is operated as a heating unit the valves 94 and I00 are closed, valves I06 and I22 are opened, under this condition liquid heated in the primary generator 24 is vaporized and hot vapor or steam flows to the secondary generator or heat transfer unit 28 and transfers heat to the liquid refrigerant therein caus- 111g vaporization thereof.

The vaporized refrigerant flows under pressure from the secondary generator 28 to the motor resulting in driving the motor and the combined pump and compressor 82 associated therewith. The exhaust from the motor is conveyed through the conduit 88 past the valve I06 into the evaporator I02 which in the incident operation functions as a condenser wherein the heat of the 'vaporized refrigerant is dissipated and the refrigerant reduced to a liquid state and is drawn off through the conduit I20 past the valve I22 into the intake II4 of the combined pump and compressor 82 and discharged therefrom through the outlet H6 and conduit II8 to the chamber 34 of the secondary generator or heat transfer unit where the refrigerant is again vaporized. This completes the cycle.

The fan 62 associated with the evaporator distributes heated atmosphere or cooled atmosphere according to the function of the evaporator, and the fan I0 associated with the condenser 92 serves to cool the condenser.

While this invention has been described in connection with certain specific embodiments, the principle involved is susceptible of numerous other applications that will readily occur to persons skilled in the art.

Having thus described the various features of the invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a heating and cooling system, a source of heat, a water jacket surroundin the source of heat, a Water jacketed liquid container having its jacket connected to the jacket associated with the source of heat, a receiver and a valve connected in series between the jackets, a switch controlled by pressure in the receiver and an electric circuit including the switch and valve.

2. In a heating and cooling system, a source of heat, a sealed liquid container receiving heat therefrom through connection, a motor driven by vapor expelled under pressure from the container, a combined vapor and liquid pump driven by the motor having its vapor discharge port connected to the vapor discharge of the motor and its liquid discharge connected to the container, a condenser, a restrictor and an evaporator connected in series between the discharge of the motor and the vapor intake of the pump, means connecting the evaporator to the liquid intake of the pump and means for eliminating the condenser from the circuit and transforming the evaporator into a condenser.

DON E. DASHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 746,792 Coleman Dec. 15, 1903 1,032,646 Beler July 16, 1912 1,871,244 Steuart Aug. 9, 1932 1,928,127 Fritz et a1. Sept. 26, 1933 2,286,961 Hanson June 16. 1942 

